New York Percussion Series to be Presented At The Players Theatre

The inaugural performance of the New York Percussion Series featuring the Percussion People will debut at 7pm April 23 at The Players Theatre in Greenwich Village, NYC. The event will feature well-know percussionist from Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals.

Special guest and drum set virtuoso Jason Gianni will join Broadway veterans Michael Sgouros, Britton Matthews, and Jack Mansager along with the inimitable Off-Broadway Players Theatre favorites Em Sgouros and Sean Statser in this first-of-its-kind series.

The concert will present a range of jazz, funk, and rock on a variety of percussion instruments including the marimba, vibes, xylophone, congas, and more. Patrons are invited to settle comfortably into the 200-seat theatre and purchase a beverage from the bar while listening to some of NYC's best musicians.

Featured guest Jason Gianni is an instructor at the prestigious Drummers Collective in NYC as well as an adjunct instructor at the New School in NYC and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He is known for being the drummer for the theme song for the popular cartoon, 'Spongebob Squarepants', and as the co-author of the popular book 'The Drummers Bible'. He currently plays Off-Broadway on Little Shop of Horrors.

Music director and composer for the Percussion People, Michael Sgouros has performed both on Broadway and off. Broadway shows include the productions of The Secret Garden, Falsettos, The Goodbye Girl, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera. He has composed and played Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre for The Selfish Giant, Treasure Island, Stone Soup, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, Phantom of the Opera (Sgouros and Bell), The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Tico Tales, Sleepy Hollow and Beauty and the Beast.

Percussionist and educator Jack Mansager has worked in the New York City area for the past 25 years. He plays on Broadway in Disney's The Lion King, and, back in 2001, was a featured performer in the Tony award winning show Blast!. He was a founding member of the original Percussion People.

Percussion People member Britton Matthews has premiered more than ten original musicals Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre and is currently playing with SIX on Broadway. She recently originated the drum book for the Off-Broadway musical Millennials are Killing Musicals (book and music by Nico Juber) presented by Out of the Box Theatrics.

Producer, composer, and percussionist Em Sgouros has played in countless musicals Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre. Under the pseudonym SQORE, they write with the intent to synthesize contemporary melodic ideas with experimental electronic sounds. They've written, performed, and recorded in a wide variety of projects which have brought them to venues and festivals within NYC and across the country, including SXSW, Winter JazzFest and Riot Fest

Performer, composer, and educator Sean Statser has been called "Lithe, muscular, and mesmerizing" by the New York Times. He actively collaborates with several New York City artists and ensembles including the Grammy-nominated Metropolis Ensemble, Argento New Music, Ensemble LPR, and Iktus Percussion. He has premiered over 200 works to date by composers such as Jason Treuting, Timothy Andres, Caleb Burhans, Kati Agocs, Vivian Fung, Angelica Negron, John Luther Adams and Elliot Carter.

Join these master percussionists for an unbeatable evening of the best jazz and funk found in NYC.

The New York Percussion Series premiere performance debuts April 23 at 7pm Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre located at 115 MacDougal St. The theatre is accessible via West 4th St. Station, lines A,C,E,B,D,F,M - walk one block east on West 3rd, and one block south on MacDougal.

Tickets are available at www.ThePlayersTheatre.com

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